The Unexpected
by Melodramatic Writer
Summary: AU When Maka Albarn set out to find her mother, there were a few things she didn't expect. A few to mention would be crossdressing, joining a crew of insane pirates, and meeting a white haired boy who knows more than he's letting on.
1. The Start of Everything

_**Chapter 1: The Start of Everything- I Can Do This, Right?**_

The air was still and quiet, the majority of the residents in the small town still sleeping snug in their beds. The sun could be seen peeking up from beneath the waters, the sky cast in multiple rays of reds, pinks, and oranges through the dark of the night. The moon, on the opposite horizon, was sinking lower, and lower into the sky. It's time was done and now it was the sun's turn to fill the day with light.

A girl, no more than the age of fourteen, moved about her quiet apartment, gathering the last necessities before she headed out for the last time. She'd been up since early that morning (or late that night, depending on how you looked at it) packing a single bag. She was a fairly logical girl, only taking what she knew she would need and no more.

Placing a few more items in her bag she closed it back up, nodded to herself, and stood up.

Glancing around her apartment would be a sad sight to anyone else's eyes, it was empty (not that it had ever been filled), clear of any signs of humanity. For the last few years of her sad excuse of a life she'd been mostly alone. Her mother, traveling, hadn't set foot in the apartment for over six years. The girl's father, hardly ever home himself, was off at his job (she scoffed, he was probably flirting with more women) on a fishing boat that was gone for months at a time.

To her, the empty home meant opportunities, another chance, no anchors. Said girl grinned walking to the single mirror in the empty bathroom. Green eyes stared back at her as she fished out two clips from her pocket and fixed her ash blonde hair up into two high pigtails. Staring at the reflection, the girl glanced at her appearance. She wore tan capris, a plain white button-up, and a yellow vest. Nodding again she walked back out to the main room.

Picking up her brown shoulder bag, she took one last look at the placed she'd called home for the last fourteen years of her life.

It was time to move on.

The girl turned, opening the front door for the last time, and shutting it on her old life.

Walking down the street was when she really began to ponder her plan of action. She knew what she _wanted_ to do; but wasn't quite sure how to go about achieving her goal.

Maka, for that was the girls name, stop. Her head tilted to the side. What _was_ she going to do? She turned her head to the sky, squinting against the laughing sun. Well, she couldn't go back. That was out of the question (she'd already returned the key to the landlord, so couldn't go back either way). Finding her father was another 'no' on her list of things she needed to do (or not, depending on the item) he'd fuss over her and just end up getting on her nerves.

Now the true question was, where would one go if they wanted to travel around without an excess of attention? Where they could get a ride near anywhere, fairly cheap, no questions asked?

_The wharf._

Maka nearly hit herself in the face. _Of course!_ Why didn't she think of it before? If she could get a boat to take her around, and she could ask around at each port, it'd be perfect!

The blonde smiled, humming gently to herself. This would be a piece of cake! Why had she ever worried before? There was no way her plan could go wrong. If she explained her situation, they'd be understanding. There's no way they could say-

"No."

Maka's eyes widened a fraction. "W-what? But sir! All I need is-"

"No means no, girly. Now get outa my sight before I get angry." The large man pushed her aside as he picked up another crate, and started to carry back to his ship.

"_Please!_" Maka pleaded, rushing after him. "Please, if you would just understand!"

"I don't wanna understand, now _get outa my way!_" The gruff man pushed her roughly, causing her to fall in yesterday's produce. He glared down at her, "Ain't nobody gonna take a scrawny runt like yous anyhow. So git, ya hear me? Yer just in the way, ain't no place fer a _girl._" He turned, leaving her there, sitting in the garbage.

She sniffed. _Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry._ She thought like a mantra, _Don't cry, don't cry. You're better than this!_

A bark of laughter pulled her out of her revery Maka glanced up at the source of the offending noise. A dirty child stared down at her, giggling in all his audacity. Her cheeks flared, she averted her gaze from the boy and stood up swiftly. She brushed away as much as she could from her clothes. Keeping her gaze from the child she started walking. To _where_ she had no idea. As long as it brought her away from the laughing child and the scene of her embarrassment. Much to her chagrin, the small figure trailed after her, eyes wide with interest, mouth open allowing small laughs to escape. Maka, trying to maintain what little pride she had left, continued walking, attempting to ignore the small rag pile.

The child, however, would have none of it. "Hey, hey, lady!" He called. Maka walked faster. "Hey!" he called again, catching up, "Lady!" Maka, yet again, walked faster. "Hey!" The boy shouted.

Maka turned on her heels. "_What!_" She hissed. "_What could you possibly want?_" The child grinned, Maka noted that he was missing quite a few of his teeth.

"I wan'ed ta ask yous some'in'." He stood there, Maka waited.

"Well?" She asked.

"Why yous be wa'in to hitch a ride anyhows?" His speech made Maka cringe. Did no one teach proper english anymore?

Green eyes narrowed, "I don't see how it's any of _your_ business." The boy gave another toothy smile.

"'S not mum. I jus' thought you oughta know that there ain't no respec-ti-ble cap'n who'll let a _girl_ a board 'is ship."

Maka sighed, "No? And why's that?"

The smile grew. "'Cuz ever'body know 't's bad luck to have a woh-man aboard a ship." With that the boy gave another hearty laugh before scampering off.

Maka stood there for a moment, pondering this bit of information, before realising that the small, rude child was correct. She nearly hit herself. All sailors were incredibly superstitious. If there was even the _slightest_ possibility that something caused good or bad luck, they believed it.

One of these superstitions was that bringing a female aboard a ship caused extremely bad luck. Maka had always found the superstition stupid, and therefore never gave it a second thought.

She'd never even thought about the fact that she might not be let aboard a ship because she was a_ girl_. The idea was stupid in itself. Who would ban certain people from a ship because of their _gender_?

Sailors, apparently.

Maka was stumped. She stood there with a thoughtful look on her face. How was she going to convince a crew to lug her around if they didn't allow females on their boats?

Maka watched the laughing sun continue its trek through the sky. She'd think of something. She always did.

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**Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater; Atsushi Ōkubo does. This is written mainly for my own enjoyment and for anyone else who wants to read it.**

**Reviews would be nice. ^^**


	2. The Search Continues

_**Chapter 2: The Search Continues- Should I Just Give Up?**_

There was no way she could do this.

Maka sighed as she slumped down against the brick wall of some pub. She let her head fall back against the cool stone.

It was mid-afternoon and _hot_. By now Maka was convinced that the sun was laughing directly at _her_. She'd tried at least six more ships after her first blunder. She hadn't been very successful. They'd all said the same things:

'_Not a chance._'

'_Go away_.'

'_No women allowed_.'

Maka was really starting to hate the sexist qualties of sailors. She was beginning to think she'd _never_ find a crew to take her on.

For a fleeting moment she considered contacting her father for help...

Maka hit herself.

No way was she asking that-that _man_ for help. She hadn't even told him that she'd moved out of the apartment, and didn't plan to, either. It'd be a few months before he came back and Maka planned to be long gone when he did. She almost felt bad for leaving like this (if she ever even _got_ the chance to leave that is) but the man was hardly ever home anyways, so Maka pushed any remorse to the back of her mind- besides, she didn't even know if she _could_ get out of port.

"Stop thinking like that!" Maka scolded herself. She slapped her cheeks and stood up. "Of course you're going to!" All she was doing was sitting here in self pity. She'd never get anywhere with that attitude, "I won't give up!" Maka nodded to herself and had just taken a few steps when a voice called out to her.

"Hey, girly." Maka looked over to see two buff men standing a few paces away. They were large and tanned, with multiple piercings and tattoos.

Maka eyed the two men warily, keeping her distance she asked, "Yes?"

The one on the left, who was the slightly bigger of the two, gave a mostly-toothy smile. "We heard you was lookin' for a ship to stowaway on."

"Well, not 'stowaway' exactly. But, yes." Maka tilted her head slightly, giving the men a scrutinizing stare. What were they getting at? Were they here to laugh at her too?

The men glanced at each other, grinning. The one on the right took a step forward, Maka took a step back. "We was wonderin' if you'd like to," he paused, his smile sending shivers down Maka spine, "'stowaway' on our ship."

At this Maka perked, her defences falling. They were going to help her? She gave them a timid smile. "Well, as I said, I don't want to stowaway, just get a ride around to the other ports."

The men shared another look, then approached. "Yeah, yeah, _sure_. We can 'elp you." He placed a hand on Maka back, "Just come with us."

Red flags flared up in the back of Maka's head, but she let herself be guided by the large man.

She looked up at the other one, using a hand to shield her eyes from the sun. "Are you sure you can help? Will your Captain be alright with this?"

Another shared glance. "Sure, sure. 'E's fine with it."

Maka pursed her lips. They were being awfully _shady_ about the whole ordeal. "Either way I'd like to speak with him. Let him know what my plan of action is."

Another look. "Course, just be patient, lass."

The small trio walked along for another moment or so before Maka noticed they were walking in the _opposite_ direction of the docks. "Excuse me, sirs. Exactly _where_ are you taking me? The docks are _that_ way." Maka pointed for emphasis.

This look shared annoyance. "Course, course." The larger one said, "We're just taking you to our Cap'n."

The red flags started yelling at her. Her voice went flat, "Why isn't your Captain on his ship?"

The one to her right barked a laugh. "He don't spend _all_ his time on the ship. He's taking care of, of some _business_ right now."

Maka's eyes narrowed, "Well, I wouldn't want to bother him then. I'll speak with him later." She stopped walking and tried to turn around, but a hand on her shoulder and a knife at her back stopped her movement.

"He'll be fine with it, lass. Best keep walking." The one to her right said.

The knife poked deeper into her back. "_Move_, girly." Maka jolted forward, she moved stiffly as the two guided her on.

"Wh-where are you _really_ taking me?" She kept her gaze forward, not daring to look around.

The bigger one laughed again, "Well, you've gotta pay your _entrance_ fee, now don't you?"

Maka went ridged, "E-entrance fee?"

He grinned down at her, "You didn't think we'd let you stow away for _free_ did you?"

"I-I told you, I don't w-_want_ to stowaway, I j-just need a ride." She couldn't stop herself from stuttering, Maka couldn't remember a time in her life where she had been more afraid.

The men ushered her into a nearby alley. One slammed her against the wall as the other moved the knife to her throat. Maka's eyes widened as a large hand reached for her shirt, she kicked wildly and was satisfied when she hit solid mass and heard one of them shout profanities. The knife moved away but the large hands moved to her hair and yanked her down. Maka screamed as her head hit the cement. The ringing in her head almost drown out the pain. Another hand reached down and pulled her up by a pigtail.

"You try that again missy," The knife sweep through the air, cutting her hair, Maka's head fell back again, "and you'll lose more than a clump of hair."

A hand swept down and yanked her remaining pigtail from its holder, her strands fell lose and a foot stepped down to hold her in place. A hand moved to hold her wrists above her head. One of the men bent down, and for the first time, Maka could smell the stench of alcohol on his breath. "Not one word, girly, hear me? _Not one word_."

His pudgy hand moved down to fumble with the buttons on her shirt, his hot, foul breath fell down upon her face. Maka's own breath was short and ragged. Tears slipped out as she closed her eyes, planning to try and ignore everything until it was all over.

The man reached the fourth button down. Maka was shaking, trying not to completely break down and hold on to whatever pride she could. He'd just undone the button when the sound of a gun firing filled the musty alley.

The man's hand froze and Maka snapped her eyes open.

Though her vision was slightly blurry she could make out the figure of a teenage boy.

His hair was black, with three white stripes on the right side. He wore a mostly black suit, and a scowled. The most shocking thing, Maka found, was the fact that he had a _gun_. Correction, he had _two_ guns. The boy held them in an awkward upside down fashion as he frowned down at the scene before him.

"Your lack of balance disgusts me."

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**Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater; Atsushi Ōkubo does. I only write this due to my lack of a life. **

**Thanks to Akamaruwolf323 for being my first reviewer! I'm sorry that you found it difficult to read. I tried to make this one with fewer speech impediments. The main cast should all talk normally. I was just doing that for the sailors around the dock, to show how they talk. So, it might come back in play, but I'll try not to make it, quite as dramatic? I think that's the word I'm looking for... Anywho! Thanks for reviewing! (It's the only reason I even _wrote_ another chapter. ,^-^)**


	3. Symmetry yɿƚɘmmyƧ

_**Chapter 3: Symmetry~yɿƚɘmmyƧ- What Does it Matter?**_

Maka stared wide eyed at her black haired savior. She watched as he shifted so that each of his guns pointed at a different man.

"Harassing children now are we?" His eyes narrowed. "Release the adolescent, and I won't have to put a bullet through your head."

The man above Maka shifted, he grabbed the longer part of her hair and pulled her up. Hair in one hand, knife in the other, the man placed the blade against her neck. The boy didn't falter.

"Looky here boy, you just go on your way and no one has to get hurt." Smirking, the man pulled harder on Maka's hair, forcing her up onto the balls of her feet. A raise of an eyebrow was the response from the gunman.

The left gun went off and the man holding Maka jumped back. "What the hell kid!"

The 'kid' held up the recently fired gun and gazed at it, almost sadly, "What a pity, the gun on my left is two bullets lighter than the gun on my right. I'll have to even them out. So," He glanced back up at the two men, "should I even them out on you two?"

The large men glanced at each other. Suddenly, Maka was shoved towards the boy and the two took off down the alley. She stumbled and fell, the suited boy made no move to help her. He looked sorrowfully at his right gun before shooting a garbage bag twice. Returning the weapons to their rightful spot in his pockets, he walked forward, crossed his arms, and offered two hands. Maka stared at them for a moment before accepting the gesture. He hoisted her up and stood by silently as she buttoned her shirt back up. Once done Maka glanced at him awkwardly.

"Uh, thanks." She mumbled.

He nodded, "You are unharmed I presume?"

Shifting she looked away, "Mostly." Besides a few bruises, her hair, and the permanent mental scarring she'd have to deal with, she'd be fine.

When she looked back at him, he seemed to be sizing her up. Apparently he didn't like what he saw because he wrinkled his nose in disgust.

Was she really dirty?

"Come with me." He ordered. He turned around and started to walk away. Maka stared after him for a moment before jogging to catch up.

She walked at a slower pace than he did, only a few steps behind, wondering if following him was the smartest thing. He _had_saved her, but he might just want something from her as well.

Maka shook off the feeling of doubt. She'd deal with that if or when the time came. For now, she'd follow the strange boy who was being very quiet about the whole '_come with me_' thing.

After a few more blocks (they were nowhere _near_the wharf, and Maka, though she'd lived in this town her entire life, had no idea where they were) Maka sped up slightly to walk next to the boy and asked him where they were going.

He had looked at her like she was insane, and told her "The Barber Shop."

When prompted with "Why the heck are we going to a barber shop?"

He had rolled his eyes and turned back around, "Because, your hair is absolutely asymmetrical. I can't stand to let it stay like that any longer."

Maka tilted her head at him. Sure, she'd cut it _eventually_but she'd still do it herself.

"I don't exactly have the money to _spend_on a hair cut. I'll just cut it later tonight."

The boy whipped around, his face an angry mask, "You would _cut your own hair_?"

Maka stopped walking to stare at him, she furrowed her eyebrows, "Yeah. What's wrong with that?"

"Wha-what's wrong with- _everything_ is wrong with it! You ignorant, imbalanced little-" He stopped suddenly, placing a hand to his forehead. He rubbed his temples with his thumb and forefinger. "Listen," He said softly, "what if, after you cut it, it wasn't even? What if your hair _wasn't symmetrical_?"

Symmetrical? "What would that matter? It'd be close enough, right?"

Apparently it wasn't.

"No! It's not! It must be _symmetrical_! _Everything_ must be_ symmetrical_! Do you understand me!" He had taken a few steps forward and was now shaking Maka by the shoulders.

Maka, not appreciating being manhandled by the boy, pushed him away. She glared as she rubbed a shoulder, "What about you? _Your_ hair isn't completely symmetrical, you have three random strips!"

At this he froze. His mouth hung open in an unspoken retort, his hands in the middle of gesturing. For a moment, Maka almost suspected that time itself had stopped.

Then, suddenly, He collapsed to his knees. "Whhhhhhy!" He shouted to the heavens. He fell to his elbows and started banging on the ground. "Trash! Asymmetrical trash! Why was I born! I should just die! I'm a waste of space! I'm such asymmetrical garbage! Just throw me out!"

Maka could only stare at the boy as he continued to rant.

What. The. Heck.

What was he doing? Did symmetry matter that much to him? As Maka watched him beat the ground with his fist she decided that he must be OCD. If only a little.

How else could someone freak out like over _symmetry_?

"Hey there." Maka bent down, placing a hand on his back and rubbing it gently. "It's alright."

He moaned, "Noooooo, I'm ugly, abnormal, _a wast of space_..."

"Aww, no your not." Maka cooed, "You're not a waste of space, sweetie."

"Kid..." The boy mumbled.

"Humm?" She started rubbing circled into his back. "What was that?"

"My name... it's Kid."

Maka almost faltered.

Kid? Who named their child 'Kid'?

'_Oh, this is my kid, Kid_.'

What terrible parents Kid must have. No wonder he was so messed up.

"That's a wonderful name." She told him.

He sniffed, glancing up at her, "R-really?"

She smiled, "Yeah, sure. You just need remember, Kid: No one's perfect. And out of all the people I've ever met, you're the most symmetrical of all."

"You're right." He said, standing up, "I'm am."

"Yeah, there you go!"

He stared at her, "But you're not."

"Wh-what?" Had he missed _everything_she had just said?

"Follow me." He started walking again.

Maka stood there, dumbfounded.

What. The. _Heck_!

She watched as he walked away. What just happened? … _Did _that just happen?

Kid turned around, "You coming?" After another moment she nodded and ran to catch up with him.

He was talking by the time she caught up, "The barber whom I'm taking you to works _miracles_. He's the only person I'd trust with my hair, so he's the only one I'll trust with yours." He turned slightly to smile, then began talking about the wonders of symmetry.

Well, at least he was being more personable.**_  
_**

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater; Atsushi Ōkubo does. I'm just still writing this because my Soul discovered how tasty reviews are.**

**Thanks for the reviews! And the alerts and favorites! They make me feel special... Like when a warm, kitty is sleeping on your belly... but then he hears food being poured in his dish so he abandons you to the cold, cruel world... Uh... never mind...**

**I apologies for any grammar errors. I... don't _think_ there are any, but there might be. Tell me if there are and I'll fix it if I feel like it. Also! If you see /slashes/ around a word in the story, tell me and I'll fix it. Those just tell me where to _italicize _things**

**So, it wanted me to change 'wasn't' to 'wasn't'... And I was all like 'what the heck?' Was there an extra space or something? Google Docs was fine with it, so whatever.**


	4. Haircuts and Ships

_**Chapter 4: Haircuts and Ships; Really?**_

The barber shop that Kid had taken Maka to had been just that: a barber shop. The name of the place had even been '_The Barber Shop_'. By the way Kid had spoken about the hairdresser though, Maka had assumed that they were going to some underground mafia.

So, when they stopped in front of a small, rundown building with a barely-intact sign that read '_The Barber Shop_', Maka had half suspected people to start shooting at them when they passed through the front door. Instead, an older teenage girl with a frizzy perm took Kid's name and told them to sit down.

Maka shifted uncomfortably as she glanced around; there were magazines spread out on a coffee table in front of them (most of them about fashion, but one about the inner workings of a sandwich shop), a few women waiting as well (one had tinfoil wrapped around her head) and an uncomfortable looking man who looked to be in his mid-twenties. Maka glanced at Kid, his face was one of mild enjoyment.

About the time Maka was going to ask him how long this would take, the girl at the front desk called for them.

Kid stood up and turned to Maka, smiling, "Don't worry, soon you hair will be perfectly symmetrical."

Maka worried.

They made their way over to an elderly man who, grimacing at the state of Maka's hair, motioned for her to sit in the chair. He leaned it back and placed what he could of the mas in a sink, filling it with warm water and poured some soap in his hand.

"It's nice to see you again, Kid. Haven't seen you in some time. What have you been up to?" He started scrubbing at Maka's scalp and any doubts she had washed away.

"Likewise. I've been working with my father lately, he seems to think that I'm old enough now to deal in the family business." The man hummed, and the two started chatting. Maka felt slightly ignored but couldn't quite bring herself to care because she hadn't been this laid back in _years_. She hadn't even realised how tense and stressed she'd been- until now.

When the man drained the sink and started toweling off her hair she was slightly disappointed but didn't complain. He combed out her hair and brought out a pair of scissors, growing quiet as he started to concentrate.

Kid, having lost his talking companion, turned his attention to Maka. "I never did ask," He started, "Why were you with those men in the first place?" Maka looked down, to avoid his gaze, but the man moved her head back up again, positioned it, and told her not to move.

Maka sighed before answering, "They lied to me. Or... more misled me." She gave a dry laugh.

Kid raised an eyebrow, "Lied? About what?"

Maka shifted a bit, the hairdresser smacked her, "I, I need to find a ship, but no one will take me on..."

"Why do you need to find a ship?"

She hadn't really planned on telling anyone the full story, at least not all the details. If they were going to help her, they'd need to know the bases, but she could still be pretty vague about the whole ordeal. She stuck with the same story she'd been going with all day, "I'm trying to find someone, I figured if I could get around to the other ports I'd be able to ask around about them." Well, it wasn't a _lie_.

Kid's eyes narrowed, "Who are you trying to find?"

"Wh-who? Well, uh," She didn't feel comfortable under the intense stare he was giving her, "I don't exactly-"

"There you go lad," The man said, smiling at her, "all done. Perfectly straight. Hope you can deal with the length, it's the best I could do." He handed her a small mirror.

She looked herself over. All-in-all it wasn't bad. Her hair now came to her chin in wisps, and though her bangs had been left untouched, it was kind of... scraggly looking, in a cute sort of way. Maka smiled at herself, she kind of li-_ wait_.

'_Lad_'?

He... he had just called her '_lad_' right? It wasn't just her imagination? He hadn't been talking to Kid? She glanced at him, he smiled, "Do you liked it, sir?"

No. Way.

"Y-yeah, it's great." Maka cursed her flat chest and took another look in the mirror. With her hair this short she really _did_ look like a guy. Not to mention her rather... neutral taste in clothing.

"That's wonderful. Now, I hope you two boys have a nice day." He started cleaning up and Maka followed Kid mindlessly out the door.

Well, at least it was only one person, long hair among younger men _had_ been getting more popular these days, he'd also been decently old so it could be understandable. As long as no one else- wait...

Maka glanced slowly to Kid who strode next to her; his face was scrunched up in a way that told her he was thinking seriously about something. He... he didn't, right? _Kid_ knew she was a girl, _right_?

… Those two guys from earlier knew that she was a _girl_, _right_!

Maka shook her head, her hair whipping around and hitting her slightly in the face, she couldn't think like that. Thinking like only made her more stressed, and she'd been so _calm_ earlier, she just _couldn't_ get stressed out like this _now_.

He knew. Kid just _had_ to know. He didn't come off like an idiot- a spoiled brat, maybe- but not an idiot. He knew that she was a girl, so she should just stop worrying about it.

"I've got it!" Kid spoke suddenly, halting his march and whipping about to face her. He was beaming, it was kind of... creepy.

Maka took a step back, distancing herself from the boy. "... Got what?" She asked, not sure she really wanted to know the answer.

Kid didn't answer her, instead he smiled wider, "Follow me." He turned back around and started walking away.

Maka, stunned, could only stare at him for a few moments before chasing after him and demanding what he meant.

She grabbed his shoulder and turned him around, "Kid," she said levelly, "_what do you mean_?"

They stared at each other for a while until Maka noticed Kid glancing uncomfortably at his empty shoulder and her free hand. Sighing, she grabbed his other shoulder and stared at him straight in the eyes, "You have to tell me what you mean, I can't just follow you blindly."

Kid, realising that they were now even, nodded. "My father is the captain of a ship, he takes on plenty of... freeloaders, so I'm sure one more won't make much of a difference."

It took a moment for Kid's words to sink in. Maka stared at him blankly, then blinked. She beamed and threw her arms around his neck. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!" She pulled back and noted that his face was an interesting shade of red and that he looked rather awkward. Maka was about to ask him what was wrong when she realised fully what he had just said.

Kid had just offered what she had been searching for all day. A chance she may never get again; but what the child from earlier had said rung in her ears: that no respectable captain will let a woman aboard his ship. She realized now, that she had been wrong. Kid did think she was a boy. That was the only reason he was offering was _because_ she was a boy. If she told him now, that offer would be revoked, and she may never get another opening.

"Ah, that's right, I never did ask your name." Kid chuckled, "You unsymmetrical hair was just so distracting. So, what is it?"

She knew it was wrong, she _knew_ it was, but still... "It's Ma-" Was 'Maka' too feminine? "It's Makon."

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**Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater; Atsushi Ōkubo does. **

**So, I'm back. Whoo. I just didn't feel like updating last week, so I didn't. It was Sunday, I was sitting there, and I thought 'Should I write the next chapter? …... Nah.' And that was that. Sorry for being fickle. But you know, I _had_ just babysat for about ten hours the previous day, and I _am_ kind of sick, and my beta(not really, more like a lie of a beta, I don't really have a beta)/tester/cousin figure has been MIA for the last two weeks, (she's back now, so no worries). Mostly I'm just lazy. But I _did_ download the OST for Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou (I love it by the way) then I had to convert all the files.**

**I also realise that the third chapter was... different? Lacking? Oh... _oh_. Is- is that what they call a _filler_? Awesome. I didn't even know it was in me to write fillers. Or Author's notes, but you know... It was still important, I had to introduce Kid and prove that this story is fun (mostly to Lehcar and myself). If you'll notice: it took me an entire chapter to introduce Kid's name.**


	5. Somewhere Beyond the Sea

**_Chapter 5: Somewhere Beyond the Sea; Is Someone Waiting for Me?_**

After returning to the wharf Maka followed Kid through the crowd of people. They passed ship after ship after ship. Just when Maka was about to ask Kid where exactly this ship of his was, he stopped walking and Maka promptly ran into his back. After apologizing profusely ("It's fine, Makon.") Maka looked up at the ship they had stopped at.

It was large, and brown; very plain compared to some of the other ships, but at least it was a ship. As Maka studied the ship closer, she was reminded of the patchwork quilt that was always stored away in the hall closet. The ship was brown, yes; but now Maka was noticing all of the _different _browns it was composed up of.

The main hull of the vessel was a dark, rough looking brown, Maka assumed it was the original wood of the ship. Patches of a lighter tan wood covered the bottom and sides. The mast was a smooth burgundy, as was most of the deck (from what she could tell).

Kid motioned towards the gang plank "This way." He directed. As she followed him, she realised that most of the railing had been replaced with a smokey grey-brown wood, and she could have sworn that the wheel was made out of the wood from a birch tree.

"We'll have to find my father, I'm sure he's around here," Kid glanced around and sighed, "_Somewhere_." He motioned for her again and she followed him towards the back of the boat. "Our best bet is his cabin. He might be playing cards with his quartermaster." They made their way to a door and the few steps down that led to it.

Once inside they were met with a long hallway. Here also Maka realized that multiple boards had been replaced with a variety of wood. They walked along, twisting and turning (Maka had no idea how many halls and rooms fit) until they came to another set of stairs. Kid walked up the flight and opened the door, motioning for Maka to enter first.

This room was a fair size. With many windows all around it and blue walls with clouds painted on them. There was a large body mirror against one wall, and a bed and dresser against the other. In the center of the room sat two men at a small, square table; playing some sort of card game.

The first man wore a long, black cloak, with the hood pulled on, covering his face was a strange white skull-like mask. As he placed an ace of diamonds on the pile of growing cards Maka turned her attention to the second man, she froze.

By the time Maka had remembered how to breath it came out in short, choppy gasps, and Kid was giving her an odd look.

The man had long red hair that was pulled back into a low ponytail, his suit was black, with a dark grey shirt underneath.

That was her dad. Her _father_. The red-headed man scratched his chin, then placed an eight of hearts down. This would _never_ work now. He _knew_ she was a girl. He'd tell them all, and then... Ratted out by her own father. Who knew it would come to this?

Maka sighed and hung her head, preparing an apology speech.

"Ah, Kiddo!" She heard a goofy voice exclaim, "Who's your friend?"

"This is Makon." 'Kiddo' replied blandly, "My 'friend' would like to come aboard with us."

Maka heard a chair scrape against the floor and the man in black walked up to her, "What, no last name?"

Maka swallowed, "W-well I-"

"Wait." A voice interrupted. Spirit stood up, grabbing a glass with butterscotch colored liquid sloshing around in it. He meander forward, took a sip of his drink, then leaned forward, becoming eyelevel with Maka. "Your name's 'Makon'?"

Maka took another shaky breath, and nodded.

He stared at her for a moment before grinning and wrapping an arm around her neck and rubbing his fist against her head.

"I've got a _daughter_ named Maka! That's close, right? Right!" The decidedly _foul_ smelling liquid splashed all over Maka's head, "She's soooo _cute_, that little Maka of mine! Just like her mother! But she's getting older now..." He let out a few sobs, the tightened his hold around her neck, "If anyone tries to steal my precious little girl, _I'll kill them_." He started laughing hysterically.

It took Maka a moment to come to the understanding that _he was drunk_. She didn't know if he'd recognize who she was sober or not, but at the moment - it didn't really matter.

"Get off me!" She yelled, then proceeded to hit at his chest. He released her and stepped away, hands up and face set in a confused manner.

Once free, Maka raced behind Kid to separate herself from her father as much as possible. It was quiet for a moment before Spirit gave a boisterous laugh and collapsed back into his chair. Kid father laughed as well, and sat back down.

Kid glared at the two men then turned to face Maka. He sighed, putting his hand to his head and rubbing at his temples, "I'm sorry about Spirit, he's a bit... unrecrational when he's drunk." He turned back to the table where the two chuckling men had returned to their game. "_Father_."

The man in black turned towards them again and tilted his head. "Yeah, Kiddo?"

"What is your answer?"

Kid's father stared at them for a moment, he rolled his head back and stared at the ceiling, contemplating. Spirit placed a three of spades on the pile, and it was now that Maka really started to look at their game. It didn't seem to have any sort of structures, the two men seemed to be placing cards randomly on the pile in the middle of the table. Kid's father snapped his head up and stared at the pile intently, then, contemplating his hand, he placed a king of hearts down and turned towards the two standing near the door.

"Answer for what, Kiddo?"

Kid smacked his face and let his hand drag slowly down. "Makon would like to join our crew."

"Uh, Kid, that's not exactly-"

Kid turned around and shot a glare at Maka, she promptly stopped talking.

The masked man placed a five of clubs atop Spirit's ten of spades. "Sure Kiddo, your little friend can come with us."

"Makon's not my-" Kid stopped, took a breath, "Father, you have to go through the regulations now."

The man stared at the pile a moment before nodding and standing. He walked up to Maka and bowed, "Welcome aboard the DWMS I am your Captain, L. Death. You may call me Captain Death, Captain D., The LD Master, LD Man, The L to the D, Captain Death of the-"

"_Father_." Kid hissed, "Stay on topic."

Captain Death continued, "Right, soooorrrrry~! Noooow, for the pop quiz!"

Maka stared at the man, "Quiz?"

"That's right! The DWMS Quiz!"

Kid hit his forehead again. "I'm sorry Makon, really. There is no... DWMS Quiz. Father, please just show Makon the articles."

Captain Death sighed, "You always take the fun out of everything. Fine, fine." He walked over to a desk, and pulled out a roll of parchment. "These, my young Makon, are the articles of the DWMS. Took me years to come up with all the regulations. All _you_ have to do is sign it." He held out it out, along with an inkwell and pen. Maka shifted.

"Well, I don't really feel comfortable signing that. I don't really want to be a crew member." Kid smacked himself again, "I'm looking for someone."

Death was silent for a moment, then "You don't want to sign my articles?"

"Ah, no. Sorry..." She felt bad. First she was lying to them about her gender, now she was refusing to sign some silly papers.

"Huh. Well, alright. Kiddo, I expect you'll show young Makon the ropes." With that he sat back down and continued his game with Spirit.

Kid looked as if he wanted to say something, instead he smacked his face one last time and motioned for Maka to follow him. "Come on. Now that you're here you're an official part of the DWMS, so you'd better start pulling your own weight."

Maka grinned. She might have to work hard, she might have to hide the fact that she's a girl, she might have to avoid her father, but Maka was on her way to finding her mother.

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater; Atsushi Ōkubo do- wait... does it seem like I've done this before? Or... is it just me?**

**Still surviving on FMAxHP crossovers... This chapter felt... short to me. But it wasn't. Not really... They're all around a thousand words or more. It's not _that_ long. But it's what I can produce in a day of hard work (Meaning an hour or so, depending on how distracted I am). **

**I didn't write this yesterday... so I had to write it today so I could get it up on a Monday. If I don't have a publish day, it'll never get done. Go Monday!**

**... I hate Mondays.**


	6. It Was all Unnecessary

**_Chapter 6: It Was all Unnecessary; What do you Mean?_**

Kid led Maka through the winding hallway once again.

"I do apologise for the... improper manner of which my father holds himself." He sighed and placed a hand to his forehead. "They're both quite tiring."

"It's alright." Maka interjected. She was used to it from her own father.

Kid sent her a weary smile, "Alright," He said, "Introductions. That was my father, Captain L. Death, and his Quartermaster, Spirit Albarn. I am Kid Death, First Mate."

Maka nodded, "Nice to meet you." Kid smiled again. They made their way back up the original flight of stairs. Once outside Maka had to squint until her eyes adjusted. They made their way towards the back of the boat and Maka started to notice the different people who wandered around the ship.

"Evans!" Kid called. No one looked up. Kid sighed, "Come on Evans, I don't have time for this."

Maka was about to ask Kid who he was talking to when a body landed in front of them.

Maka, startled, jumped back. Kid just groaned.

"Man, Kid," The body said as it stood up, "Uncool. I was sleeping." The body (who turned out to be a white haired, red eyed boy) grinned. His teeth were sharp. Not in the sharp-like-a-vampire sort of way, but the sharp-like-a-monster-who-will-totally-bite-off-your-head sort of way. Maka was more interested than disturbed.

Kid ignored the boy and turned to Maka, "Makon, I'd like you to meet Soul Evans." He gestured towards the albino.

Soul smirked and held out a hand, "Soul Eater." He introduced, and Maka, throughly confused, took his hand briefly before stepping back again.

"Soul, I'd like you to meet Makon." Kid motioned to Maka, "From this day on, you two will be partners."

What?

"What!?" Soul looked furious, his smirk disappeared and he sent a deadly glare at Kid.

Kid, still ignoring Soul, went on. "Soul, I'll need you to show Makon around- oh don't give me that look, you know I'm busy."

Soul continued to glare, "That's uncool Kid, don't just dump the newb on me."

Kid just glared back. "It's not _my_ fault that you're partnerless, and therefore the only one free. I have _things_ to do, unlike you, and have no time to spare." He turned to Maka, "Makon, I am terribly sorry, but there are other pressing matters that need my-" Kid stopped suddenly, he'd let his eyes wander slightly past Soul's shoulder, and now he seemed frozen. His eyes widened comically, "Patty!" He screeched, "Take that out of your mouth _right now_!" Without a farewell, he stormed over towards a blonde girl in a short red shirt and shorts who seemed to be gnawing on the wood of the mast.

Soul laughed, shaking his head, and turned back to Maka. He looked her up and down, then shrugged. "Come on." He said, shoved his hands into his yellow and black jacket, and started to walk off.

Maka jogged a bit to catch up. "Uh, Soul?" She asked. The boy merely glanced over his shoulder. "What does being 'partners', mean?"

Soul glanced at her again, "Hm? You mean Kid didn't explain?" When Maka shook her head he sighed, "Uncool... leaving me with everything. Uh, well, it's kinda hard to explain. See, Captain Death believes wholeheartedly in 'the buddy system'. So he pairs everyone up. Get it?"

No. "Yeah."

Soul was back to smirking now. "Cool. Well, I guess we're stuck with each other now. Come on, _Makon_, I'll show you around."

Maka walked a few paces after Soul. He told her that the front of the ship was called the bow, and that the back of the ship was called the aft. Currently they were standing on the poop deck, port was left and starboard was right. When he told her that the stern was the back of the boat, Maka was completely confused.

"I thought you said that the aft was the back." She complained.

Soul nodded, "It is." Maka gawked at him, and decided that she really didn't care what all the parts of the ship were, and that this was all a stupid waste of her time.

As Soul continued to point out and name the parts of the ship, she let her gaze wander. At first it had seemed as though there were more people then she could keep track of on the boat, but now she was starting to recognize some of them.

There was a tall girl with long brown hair in mostly the same outfit as the blonde, but wearing jeans instead. A tall, dark buff man with black hair, a woman with wavy yellow hair, and another really pretty girl with long black hair that-

Maka smacked her face. Soul turned to her with an eyebrow raised. "What's up, Makon?" He asked.

Maka let her hand slide slowly off her face. "Soul." She said.

Soul tilted his head and scrunched up his face a bit, "Uh, yeah?"

"Soul," She said again, "There are girls on this boat."

Soul continued to stare at her like she was stupid. "Uh, yeah." He said, "There are."

"Doesn't Captain Death care about that?" She asked.

"Uh, no. Not really." He was still staring at her oddly, "Is there a problem?" He asked.

Maka sighed, "No." She said, "Carry on." Soul gave her one last weird look but soon continued explaining the boat.

There were girls on this boat.

There were _girls_ on this boat.

She could have explained to Kid that she was a girl, and _everything_ would have been fine; but now? Now everyone would think she was a lying weirdo who got kicks out of crossdressing. She almost told Soul, right then and there; but there were two things stopping her.

One: Maka hid it well from most people, but she had pride as deep as the ocean itself. She would never go back on her word now. What would they think of her?

Two: Her father was aboard this ship. If he _ever_ found out that she was his daughter, his stupid daughter complex would kick in and he would force her to go back.

No, she had to keep this up. She had to keep pretending that she was a boy. She had to never confront her father when he was sober. If she had to, Maka would take this secret to the grave.

Maka turned back to Soul who had started to point out people. He motioned towards the black hair girl who was carrying a large pot, "That's Tsubaki, she helps out with Blare in the kitchen. As well as-"

He was cut off by a voice that would haunt Maka for the rest of her days.

A pale hand covered in stitches clamped around her shoulder. "What do we have here?" Asked the voice, "A new specimen?"

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater; Atsushi Ōkubo does- no... seriously. This is like major dajavous. **

**Wow. Chapter six. I never even thought that I'd get to chapter three. I'm so glad this story just kind of writes itself when I give it the time.**

**So, kind of pointless chapter. Not really though, they just all feel pointless to me. At least Soul is here now. He's like my... third favorite character in that show. **

**Sorry I skipped a week. At least I updated. The next chapter is already partiality written, so I'll try to update on time from now on. (Ha, like that'll work. Main thing is that I'm lazy and insecure. So I don't really want to write this and post it in the first place... also there's that issue with the plot...)**


	7. In which Maka meets new people

**_Chapter 7: In which Maka meets new people; Why are you here too!?_**

Maka was rigid. She turned slightly and followed the patched up hand to an arm covered in a white sleeve, she followed that to a patched up man.

His hair was grey and his face, clothes, and deathly pale skin were all covered in cuts, stitches, and staples. He had on a patchwork grey turtleneck and black pants. Over his shirt was a white lab coat. He wore glasses and _the_creepiest smile Maka had ever seen in her life. If Maka didn't know better she would have called him a monster, slammed her foot down on his, and ran away.

Even though she _did_know better, the idea was still tempting. She glanced at Soul momentarily, he didn't look scared, only annoyed.

The creepy man adjusted his glasses with his free hand and turned to Soul, "You skipped out on classes again, Evans." Soul just rolled his eyes; and with the man distracted, Maka slipped out of his grip and behind Soul.

The man stared blankly at the spot where Maka had been moments before, then let his hand drop. "Well Soul?" He asked, "Aren't you going to introduce us?"

Soul grimaced, "Makon, this is Professor Stein. He's one of the Scholars on the ship. He gives classes for anyone under eighteen. Professor Stein- Makon."

Stein looked Maka over and hummed, "How... interesting. No last name?"

Before either Maka or Soul could reply, they were interrupted by a loud yell.

"Yahoo!" It yelled, and a blue blob swung down with a rope and landed in front of the small group. The blob sniffed proudly and placed his hands on his hips, "Black Star is in the house! The party can now begin!"

Soul smirked, Stein remained indifferent, and Maka starred in slight horror.

Black Star (at least Maka assumed that was his name) started to laugh.

Soul chuckled slightly (cool guys don't laugh) at Maka's expression, Stein remained indifferent, and Maka backed away slightly.

The laughing cut off suddenly when Black Star caught sight of Maka. He rushed forward, placed his hands on his hips, bent down, and stared up at her. "Who are you?" He asked bluntly, "I'm such a big star, I can't believe I don't know everyone on this ship. Big stars like me should _always_know their fans."

Maka blinked in response.

"Makon's new." Explained Soul, "Just started today."

Black Star started laughing again, "Well that explains it!" He stuck out a hand, "I'm Black Star, most famous sailor in the world!"

"More like 'infamous'." Soul snickered.

"You probably already knew that though, didn't you? Since I'm such a big star and all." Black Star either didn't hear Soul, or he chose to ignore him.

Maka hesitantly took Black Star's outstretched hand. Black Star shook her arm wildly, then hit her back, making Maka lose her balance slightly.

He chortled at her again and she glared, taking refuge behind Soul.

The white haired boy snickered at her, earning a glare as well. He crossed his fingers and placed his hands behind his head, "Shall we continue?" He asked.

Black Star tilted his head, "Continue what?"

Another smirk, "I'm giving Makon here the 'Grand Tour'. Care to join us?"

"Well," Black Star grinned widely, "Usually a big guy like me wouldn't waste his time on a measly tour, but seeing as I'm free at the moment, I guess I could spare some time for my fans. I mean, come on, what's a tour without me in it?"

"Bearable." Maka mumbled, and harned a chuckle from Soul.

"Come on then," He called, walking away, "We haven't got all day!"

Maka and the blue haired boy hurried after Soul.

First he showed her the Mess Hall. Or the Cafeteria. A happy, purple haired woman named Blare worked there, with the pretty black haired girl who Maka had seen earlier running around whose name ended up being Tsubaki. They were both cooks.

Stein was also there. When questioned by Maka, he creepily told her that he was also the head cook. Maka just stared at him, then decided to never eat anything made by the man.

Apparently, Blare didn't have a partner. When Maka asked why, Blare hugged Soul to her chest and said something about Soul-ie-poo refusing to take her, and how cats were independent creatures and didn't need anyone by their side. She explained she was actually only here for the fish.

After this information was given, Maka turned to Soul with a raised eyebrow. Soul told her (after pushing Blare off) that the woman was more of a mascot, like a parrot or something, and therefore didn't need a partner, because she didn't actually do anything. Blare complained saying that she cooked, and Soul just stared at her.

Tsubaki's partner, to Maka's surprise, was Black Star. Tsubaki seemed so calm and collected, whereas Black Star just seemed destructive and annoying.

"How can you stand him?" Maka asked the taller girl, "He's so... rambunctious."

Tsubaki merely smiled, tilted her head to the side and saying, "Oh, he's not so bad. Once you get to know him."

Maka glanced at Black Star who was telling Soul some outrageous story about how he had once lost an arm whilst fighting the Kraken. "I don't know that I _want_to know him." Tsubaki just laughed.

After that Tsubaki left with them. Saying she'd love to help show Makon around the ship with the two boys. Tsubaki and Maka trailed after the two boys just slightly, chatting about life on the sea.

The next place they went to was the infirmary.

The infirmary was a large, clean room. It had three white beds against one wall, and a desk and cabinets against the adjacent wall. A woman with short, dirty blonde hair, that had longer strands braided together down the front, glanced up when they entered.

She smiled warmly, "Good morning, kids. Is there a problem?"

Tsubaki shook her head, "No Ms. Gorgon. We're just showing Makon around."

"Makon," Said Soul, "This is Medusa Gorgon. She's the ship's nurse."

Maka bowed, "It's very nice to meet you, my name's Makon."

Medusa laughed, "It's nice to meet you, too, Makon."

"Medusa." A voice called, the group glanced up. Stein approached them, and handed a clipboard to Medusa, "Could you take a look at these test results compared to the others?"

Medusa nodded, "Of course Stein," She took the clipboard from him and smiled at Maka, "It was nice meeting you." With that she took her leave.

Maka gave Professor Stein a scrutinizing look. "How did you _get_here?" She asked, "How did you get ahead of us?"

Stein returned her gaze levelly, "I'm the Doctor."

Maka just stared at him, "But you're the cook." She said, he nodded. "You're also the teacher." He nodded again. Maka's mouth opened, then closed. It opened again but no sound came out. She repeated this process a few more times, looking much like a fish, until Soul grabbed her arm and directed her out of the room.

"Come on, guys." He called, "Let's go before Makon breaks."

Tsubaki giggled slightly, following silently, and Black Star laughed, saying something about how a star like him could never break.

"Alright," Said Soul, glancing towards the two following sailors, "Where should we go next?"

* * *

**Disclaimer: I don't own Soul Eater. 'Nuff said.**

**... Why does no one review anymore? Do people just not read it? Do you not like it? I think I asked for reviews... like, once. In the first chapter. I don't ask you every time. Should I? I won't write it anymore if you don't review... I'll hold it hostage or something (though, if no one's reading it, I guess that doesn't really matter...) I mean, it's not even that hard. They put that *cough*stupid*cough* review box at the bottom, just click in it and say... something. I don't care. Say you liked it, say you didn't (and tell me _why_ because that'd just be silly to not like it without a reason. In fact, say why you liked it too, then maybe I can add more of that element) Say what I could fix or add, say where you think it could go and give me ideas of what you'd like to see. [****_SPOILER_****(but not really)****] This story doesn't actually have a plot... It just writes it's self when I tell it too, but I don't know how much longer that will last (That's all a lie actually. It has an overall plot, I just don't know what to do in the mean time). **

**So... REVIEW!**

**Also: What's up with 'won't'. It's 'will' and 'not'. ... Won't. Shouldn't it be wiln't or something? What's with the random 'o'? If you know, tell me. It's really messing with my Mojo.**

* * *

**8/14/12 - Edit (but not really): All slashes up to chapter [7] are fixed (even the ones in the AN). I don't actually go back and look through the chapters... I do one quick sweep and I'm done. That's what I use for a quick _italicize_. Because they don't _transfer_ and I write them all on googledocs. Thanks for telling me random reviewer!  
**

**Ja-ne~!**


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